Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: April 18, 2005

Last summer id software released the long-awaited Doom 3, revolutionizing the visuals thought possible in computerized first-person shooters. Although some complained about its “old-school” play style, none questioned its advancement of the technology in this genre. Combining simple shooting action with terrifying horror, for many fans this release was an unmitigated success. Now, around eight months later, id has combined forces with Nerve to deliver another installment of this epic release, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil. Does this new release pack a powerful punch and accelerate and amplify our past pleasure, or is this simply a lame repetitive extension of what we have already seen before?

The story continues where the original release left off, commencing in the 22nd century almost two years after the shutdown of the Union Aerospace Corporation base on Mars. You play the role of a marine combat engineer (a different person that you played in the original release) working under the command of Dr. Elizabeth McNeil, and you have to go back to Mars to investigate the origins of a mysterious beacon signal. Stumbling across a strange beating heart-shaped artifact, you unwittingly open a portal to Hell. Best of all, the sinister Dr. Betruger, returning in new form, is behind the endless hordes of demons you now face. While not really injecting much innovation or surprise, the plot is certainly acceptable for an expansion pack.

Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil contains a robust a single-player campaign. Although most of the levels involve traversing closed dark corridors, as before there are more open areas and occasional outdoor scenes (where you have to conserve you oxygen), certainly a bit trickier to navigate this time around. Compared to the original, because of the designers’ intentional insertion of varied environments and challenges, there is less of a chance that anyone would feel that the levels are highly repetitive. The first part of the time you spend your time in Erebus, and then you visit Phobos, culminating with another visit to Hell. In some cases you visit locations you have seen before in Doom 3, such as the Delta Labs where a door busted through in the original is appropriately still battered in this sequel. Overall the level design and architecture are once again absolutely enthralling.

The set of demonic foes you face does not at all disappoint, and indeed these boisterous behemoths have to be the high point of the game. In addition the return of some of my favorite adversaries from the past, including the grotesque Mancubus, the powerful Hellknight, and the chubby limping zombie (and the mysterious slimy growth that continues inexplicably to pulsate in the background), there are new enemies to overcome. Four of the new stars are the Vulgar, Bruiser, Hazmat Worker, and Forgotten: the imp-like Vulgar slithers on walls and ceilings and sends deadly green plasma blobs your way; the Bruiser is a strange organic-mechanical hybrids that possesses projectile-shooting arms and a computer monitor for its mouth; the Hazmat Worker is a distinctive type of particularly devastating zombie; and the Forgotten is a particularly vicious new flaming skull. There are more far more cluster attacks in this sequel than in the original, so you really have to be on your toes. As to the bosses, there are some of the best and most exciting challenges I have ever encountered in facing the three Hunters (and later Dr. Betruger), with each requiring different strategies requiring you to switch weapons as they move to different attack modes.